Harriet Tubman the New Face of the $20 Bill

President Andrew Jackson who?

Adriana Lozano is a creative type with a passion for writing, fashion, traveling and art (not necessarily in that order). She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English in hopes to become a published writer and author.

The U.S. currency hasn’t had major changes since 1929, but as of yesterday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced Harriet Tubman will be replacing Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Much controversy has surrounded the original design of Jackson’s face on the bill because of how poorly he treated the Native American Indians and also being a slave owner, so the new design does come as a sigh of relief to many. Unfortunately, the new design does not remove Jackson entirely from the bill, but replace his face onto the back of the bill.

Harriet Tubman was a former slave turned abolitionist when she fled from her owners to become a composer in the Underground Railroad. She risked her life countless times helping hundreds of other slaves escape their doom and reach freedom in the North.

Many feminists, historians, educators, and modern day political leaders are excited about having a female revolutionist on the $20 bill. Brenda Stevenson, UCLA professor of history and African American studies told L.A. Times:

“Andrew Jackson is what we used to think of as a great American hero. He stood for the white, male political and economic elite, with great military honor associated with him. We have this woman who in many ways is just the complete opposite of Andrew Jackson, and it speaks volumes that we can recognize [Tubman] as this great American hero and image of what it means to be American.”

BuzzFeed News has confirmed Lew will also announce changes to the $5 and $10 bills. But according to the New York Times, Alexander Hamilton (the U.S. first treasury secretary) will remain the face of the $10 bill, despite Lew’s previous announcement of a woman replacing Hamilton.

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